


A Cat's Prey

by ImpishSpades



Series: A Cat's Prey [1]
Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-04
Updated: 2014-11-04
Packaged: 2018-02-19 19:14:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2399714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImpishSpades/pseuds/ImpishSpades
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How are the lives of humans and ghouls outside of Tokyo? Percy Erebus, a foreign ghoul living just outside of Los Angeles California, lives among humans while he satisfies his needs as a ghoul during the night. However, his life becomes much more complicated when his human boyfriend is thrown into the mix.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1: Percy, Cat & Mouse

**Author's Note:**

> A.N. Hello reader, Chase here and welcome to this new series. In case you haven't noticed yet, this work will have a cast that consists entirely on original characters. This project is mostly to explore the lives of ghouls with different cultures, as well as to see how writing a ghoul/human relationship would be. I hope you enjoy the story as we move along. Constructive criticism is appreciated and I would like to hear what you all think. Enjoy!

I had been staring at the glow of the computer screen for hours now. Mulling about with different “proxy” devices and routing parameters took a lot longer than I had hoped. I was able to finally set up my browser though, well, set it up as well as anyone with a hacker friend can get it anyway. At least the GCB (the Ghoul Countermeasures Bureau) wouldn't be able to look into my conversations. At most they would only find out about which porn sites I visited on a regular basis… and maybe my steam account.

 

Regardless, this special browser would let me enter this new website without detection. And with the username and password my friend gave me, I should be given access. The codes I was given weren't anything interesting, just a series of numbers for both the username and password. I was told that I could change them once I logged in. Since the site was invite only, choices for usernames were pretty plentiful. I punched in the numbers to the login screen and waited for the site to load. I was met with a little pinwheel that meant that it was loading, suddenly one more window opened.

 

**What is the code name of your referrer?**

 

I looked at the prompt skeptically. I shrugged and found no harm in it, my friend must know the requirements to invite someone to the site. I clicked on the code box and typed in how the GCB had named my friend. Bloody Mary. I saw the pinwheel again and was met with another box, this time with two buttons. Yes and no.

 

**Have you been given a code name by the GCB?**

 

I clicked yes.

 

**If you know it, type it in the box (this will be your username. Leave blank if you wish to remain anonymous.)**

 

I saw no harm in giving my code name, very few knew the person behind the code name anyway. I typed it in. Cheshire. After a final loading screen I was met with a typical forum-esque website, I noted the global chat menu that had been placed by the side. Several links at the top of the site gave several categories. Chat channels, hunting ground status, connections, jobs. I glanced towards the global chat section and my eyes widened at the latest entry.

 

**Announcement: please welcome, Cheshire to our community.**

“Shit,” I said under my breath. Right there the chat exploded.

 

**Anon 12: OMG Chess?!**

**Hummingbird: welcome :)**

**Anon 159: I saw u on the news! I <3 U!!!**

**Toad: Welcome! :D**

I sighed as the chat continued to stream out the greetings of all currently online members. I decided to at least say hello so I wouldn't seem like a dick.

 

“Hooray for peer pressure,” I muttered under my breath.

 

**Cheshire: Hi everyone.**

 

There were several greetings being thrown as well as a few questions here and there. I already began to regret coming here. Most would probably enjoy the attention, but I found it annoying to deal with. It was just a constant reminder that I was caught by the local news while hunting, and I was thrown into the GCB’s most wanted list to boot. At least I was near the bottom of the list. I decided to refrain from answering any questions that were thrown at me, luckily Hummingbird was there to control the situation. Right there I saw a new tab open in my chat, once I clicked it I was met with yet another prompt.

 

**Bloody Mary would like to chat with you.**

 

I quickly clicked on the “yes” button, and was sent to another chat window.

 

**Bloody Mary: Glad to see you accepted my offer. I see the chat has taken a liking to you. ;3**

I released a slight chuckle as I shook my head.

 

**Cheshire: A little warning would have been nice >:I**

**didn't know I was so well known around the ghoul cyberspace.**

**Bloody Mary: Well, I might have spiced up your stories a bit, maybe made a few up.**

**Cheshire: I should have figured. So this place IS safe right?**

**Bloody Mary: you need to stop worrying, this place is behind a ridiculous amount of firewalls and security measures. If any GCB try to enter this area they’ll be sent to a site that sells tuxedos for small animals.**

**Cheshire: really? because Bowser would look cute in one.**

**Bloody Mary: We can talk about your corgi later. I still need to show you the ropes.**

Mary began to tell me about the different features of the website. What the different areas were for, how to create a private chat room. What ghouls I knew in person were in the site already. Most of it went over my head but I retained what I thought was important.

 

**Bloody Mary: You should probably start talking to some people around here too. Maybe find a cute guy so you can finally dump that boyfriend of yours. ;3**

**Cheshire: How many times do I have to tell you that there’s nothing wrong with him?**

**Bloody Mary: except for the obvious? You gotta be realistic, Casanova. It’ll only end badly.**

**Cheshire: I’ll file your suggestion under “the fucks I don’t give.”**

**Bloody Mary: So rude. You’re breaking my heart here 3**

**Cheshire: It would be a tragic story...if you had a heart. I mean, why else would it be your favorite snack? To compensate for your lack of one of course.**

**Bloody Mary: Wow, I’ll make sure Marcus makes you pay for that later. DX**

**Cheshire: >:P Go ahead, He’ll secretly agree with me. Anyway, you said you had a job?**

**Bloody Mary: Yes. Just a simple pickup, and a hunt after that. Pay is good if you’re interested.**

**Cheshire: Aren't I always?**

**Bloody Mary: Great, meet in the westfield mall around seven tomorrow. You’re looking for the dork wearing a ninja turtles hoodie.**

 

I realized that the Westfield mall was quite close to my school, hopefully the hunt wouldn't be nearby. Already my head began to plan out what to do in a worse case scenario, just in case I saw someone from class. I typed in “I’ll be there” before logging out of the site and turning off my computer. I looked at my watch and groaned at how late it was. I had a test tomorrow, and I needed to get to bed soon.

 

I left my comfy chair and began to walk through the horrid mess that was my bedroom. Tossing some dirty laundry to the side I found my backpack.I zipped it open and found my mask, a grinning purple cat face, along with my usual coat, I kept it at the bottom and threw in the books I needed for tomorrow and the next day. I would have to call in a favor if I was going to stay out late tomorrow, but that could wait until I got to school. with that I stipped off my clothes and collapsed onto my bed..

 

Messing with those confusing computer programs had worn me out, though I was finding it hard to just drift off into to sleep. Nights were normally like this, silent, to a maddening degree. I crawled over to the edge of my bed and and reached into my open sock drawer, sifting through the contents I was able to find what I wanted. In the darkness it was simply a black box, but I knew how it worked. I felt around the old wooden box, feeling all the coarse edges that the years had given it. I found the small wind up key at the back, and began to twist it several times. I began to listen once I placed the box by my nightstand.

 

I gently swayed my head to the tune that began to play as the box propped open. The chimes began to play Mister Sandman; the sound was gentle and relaxing. It helped me clear my mind, and finally, I could fall asleep.

* * *

 

  

The school bell rang loudly as I slammed my locker shut. School was always something tedious that I powered through, if it weren’t for the law saying that I had to go, then I would probably stay home. It was mostly the same routine. Listen to the infuriatingly boring teacher and try to make sense of all the information being shoved into our heads and fill out a test at the end of it all. It all felt very unsatisfactory. The only times I could tolerate school was before school, in between periods, and after school. Waiting around doing nothing but relaxing was something I enjoyed, and there was someone that made it that much better.

 

A familiar scent made it to my nostrils as I waited by my locker. It was something a regular human would describe as robust, a sharp sourness that stung in just the right way. I leaned back and closed my eyes as I took in the scent.

 

“Trying to sneak up on me again?” I asked. I heard a frustrated stomp, and opened my eyes. A boy about a head or two shorter than me stood with a mock frustration. He was a thin thing, with short brown hair that I couldn't stop myself from ruffling. The mild tan to his skin hinted at his ethnicity, but you wouldn't have guessed if you heard him speak. He called it being “white washed”. His name was Adrian, and he was my boyfriend.

 

“You have to tell me how you do that,” said Adrian as we both began to make our way towards our class. I placed my arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer to me.

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said faking my obliviousness. I received a playful shove in response.

 

Adrian pulled my arm closer to himself, practically broadcasting what we were to each other. “You know what I mean,” he said. “You always know where I am or when I’m sneaking up on you.”

 

“Ah, that!” I said. “That’s because I’m a predator you see. And I can always tell when my prey is close.”

 

“Predator, huh?” said the smaller boy, unimpressed. “Big bad wolf stalking a defenseless deer or something like that?”

 

“I prefer a lion,” I shrugged. “And you seem more like a squirrel or something. Then again if you were a deer I could use a good Bambi analogy or—” I received another shove, this time I retaliated by prodding my Adrian on his ribs, causing him to jump in surprise. Fortunately everyone seemed to be caring about their own business to notice us. Not wanting to attract more attention, we remained silent and made our way towards class. And that entire time I enjoyed the bitter sweet scent my Adrian gave off.

 

First and second period went by rather smoothly, I did my best to keep to myself but it was difficult since I had Adrian in both those classes. It was like that between us, doing our best to not disrupt anyone, but taking every opportunity to give each other a passing glance, maybe a wink if we happened to be looking into each other's eyes. It was puppy love, but it didn't matter to me. It made me forget about my nights, sometimes I even forgot I was a ghoul, so I welcomed it. By the time it was lunch we were both making our way to the cafeteria. We walked over to the corner tables where few people would head off to, it was nice and quiet where no one could hear your conversations.

 

“Are you having lunch?” asked Adrian, walking besides me with a spring in his step. “I can share with you if you want.” I felt my stomach turn inside out when I noticed the smell of his lunch.

 

“I had a big breakfast,” I said indifferently as I searched my backpack for my bottle of ice coffee. Thank God Starbucks opened early enough for me to buy one before class. “I’m not really hungry, so don’t worry about it.” Another thing I liked about Adrian was that he knew how to leave things well enough alone, he didn't pester about why I drank so much coffee, or about my eating habits, either. Almost too good to be true.

 

“Did you see the news last night?” Asked Adrian as we both sat down on an empty table. “Another ghoul attack in downtown LA, district ten.”

 

“Really?” I asked trying to sound interested. I knew about the attack, Mary had mentioned it to me. “Did anyone get hurt?”

 

“Two dead,” the boy finally found his lunch and I had to stop myself from throwing up then and there. The putrid aroma was pungent, it looked like orange rice but smelled of decayed flesh. “Most of them eaten up, but the doves showed up.”

 

“That’s terrible,” I said. “I wouldn't worry too much though. We’re still three districts away from downtown LA. The valley is one of the safer places.” Ever since ghoul attacks started becoming more frequent, the GCB began to divide all of the states into districts, to help organize patrols. Ghoul investigators became more plentiful and the lives of ghouls became that much more complicated.

 

“Is it now?”

 

“According to statistics,” I said absentmindedly. “Also, out here it’s mostly a matter of avoiding dark alleys at night. In the day you’re fine. Everywhere is too out in the open, too many people watching.” I realized that I was a bit too descriptive, the way Adrian was looking at me with a cocked eyebrow said it all. “I-I mean that’s what I think. I mean it makes sense if you think about it.”

 

Adrian gave me a smirk. “Sounds like you've given it quite a bit of thought,” he said. “What’s wrong? Is the tall, dark and brooding school emo afraid of ghouls?” I narrowed my eyes in response.

 

“I fear nothing!” I said taking up a gallant tone. “I shall take on every ghoul in the city, nay, all of California! I shall vanquish their sinister ways with my brooding emoness. They shall learn to fear the name Percy Erebus!” I received an applause from my boyfriend who bore an amused expression. I gave a bow for a performance well done.

 

“And I wonder why you didn't join drama.”

 

“They wouldn't be able to handle me anyway,” I retorted. Thankfully we were off the topic of ghouls and returned to small chat. “Oh yeah, I have a big favor to ask.”

 

“What is it?” He asked as he looked at me expectantly, his large brown eyes blinking at me.

 

“I have some stuff to do around here,” I said. “Is it cool if I stay at your place tonight?” The way Adrian’s face lit up was all the answer I needed.

 

“Of course!” he said excitedly. “Is Bowser coming too?”

 

“I can drop him off around five,” I said. “I should be back at nine or ten.” and just like that my entire evening was booked. The rest of the day was spent focusing on class, since I didn't have Adrian for any of the other periods (I did fine on my test in case you were wondering). After school we sneaked around to one of the more secluded areas of the school and shared a moment of solitude. Just us two enjoying the other, both of us exploring each other with our hands and lips. We were mindful not to go too far, better to save the best for tonight. Once we were done having fun, we both got our clothing back in order and arranged our hair into something presentable, we parted ways. Adrian releasing a childish chuckle the entire way. So far everything was falling into place. Getting paid after doing the job, and spending the night with a cute Hispanic boy. Right now, everything was absolutely perfect.


	2. Percy, Flying Fish.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy gets tricked, his job takes an unexpected twist, and he also meets a ghoul named Gil.

I reached the old apartment building in the middle of the small town. It wasn't much but compared to my place it might as well be a fucking mansion. I glanced down at the short and stubby dog by my feet, he looked up at me as he wagged his almost stump of a tail.

“All set boy?” I asked the brown and white corgi. Bowser replied with a low and gruff howl, almost as if he was trying to talk. “Of course you are,” I answered playfully. “You love it when I take you to see Adrian!” We began to make our way up the stairs of the apartment complex, and looked for apartment “12b”. it was easy to find, this wasn't our first time here and the fact that it was the last door down the hall made it even easier. I knocked on the door, immediately I heard several footsteps rush over and the familiar scent returned to me. The door propped open to reveal Adrian, he beamed brightly at me and looked down at the dog who was already seeking the attention of the boy.

“Hey Bowser!” Adrian picked up the playful dog and began to pet and hug him as the dog began to lick his face.”How was the trip over here?” asked Adrian as we all entered the apartment.

“Fine,” I said closing the door behind me, I silently smelled the air around me and noticed that the second scent in the apartment was weaker than it normally was. I also noticed that there was no one in the kitchen cooking a meal or something, instead I heard the microwave ding. “Where’s your dad?”

“Out on a business trip for the weekend,” I saw the dog jump out of my boyfriend’s hands and follow him into the kitchen. As soon as Adrian propped open the microwave, I was assaulted by one of the worst creations of my arch nemesis, Totino. His fucking pizza rolls. Suddenly my horror grew as I saw the plate being offered to me. “Want one? they’re a bit hot.”

“I ate before coming here actually,” I said sheepishly. Adrian simply moved the plate away to my relief. “Actually I should probably head out…”

“But you just got here!” objected Adrian. “C’mon when do you have to go?” He had to ask that question.

“Well… I need to be in the mall by seven—”

“There, you can stay till six thirty and still make it with time to spare.” The Hispanic boy cocked an eyebrow at me, as if daring me to reject that idea. Knowing him, it would be a bad idea to do so. Well he was letting me stay the night after all, I concluded that maybe there was no need to be in such a hurry. It was a much better alternative than waiting about two hours in the mall.

“Oh what the hell,” I said with a shrug, we both started to make our way towards the living room, where the two player mode for Mario Kart was already set up. Adrian always did get what he wanted, I’ll give him that. As I took one of the controllers I quickly selected my character of choice, Bowser (big surprise there).  

So we started racing for a while, keeping idle chat. Mostly it was about school, until the conversation was twisted to where Adrian wanted it to go.

“I can’t believe the school year is two months away from ending,” he said.

“I know,” I said. “It’s ridiculous. It felt like yesterday where we were just sophomores who just started dating. Now we’re graduating high school in a couple of months.” At that moment my kart slipped on a banana. “You left that just for me didn't you?” all I received was a playful smirk.

“Better focus, Percy.” He made sure to say that just as he launched a green shell and took the lead. “I might actually win this one… So prom is coming up too.” I was too focused on the game to see the trap in front of me.  

“Hm? oh yeah, prom.” I said as we both crossed the finish line and received the “final lap” warning.

“Yeah, everyone has a date and everything.”

“Yeah.” I nodded as my mind began to tone out Adrian slightly, in my defense we were both fighting for first place.

“So you should go with me to prom.”

“Yeah of course!” I said, then I paused as soon as I realized what just happened. Then I saw my kart stop as Adrian’s sped past mine, the crafty Mexican boy gave me a kiss on the cheek while he finished the race and took first place from me.

“Great,” he said excitedly. “Dad already bought me a tux, we should talk about what to get you over the weekend!” I stared at him puzzled, still trying to assess the situation.

“How did you do that?” I asked.

“What ever do you mean?” he asked only tempting me. I gave in and realized that I he had me, it was not like I was about to go back on my word. Granted, my word doesn't count for much, but I always did what I could on the few occasions where Adrian would ask for something. I was given a surprise hug and decided to give in to his desires for tonight. Well, prom wasn't the end of the world.

After a few more races and recovering my title of Mario Kart Master I checked my watch. “Looks like I’m out of time,” I said as I lifted Bowser off my lap and placed him on Adrian’s, the lazy dog sank into my boyfriend’s lap and went back to sleep.

“You never mentioned where you were going,” said Adrian popping another pizza roll into his mouth. He looked at me expectantly while I quickly searched for a lie.  

“Just have to meet someone in the mall,” I answered. “A possible job.”

“A job?” Adrian looked excited. “That’s great! maybe now you can move out of your apartment.” That was not something I had considered before, mainly because it was never brought up. I lived in district eight just before entering district ten in LA, it wasn’t a nice place by any stretch of the imagination, but at least there were very little ghouls there, so I could go hunting whenever I really needed to eat. All things considering, that was one of the safer places for me.

“It would be nice to be some place closer,” I said after planting a kiss on Adrian’s forehead. “And see you a lot more.” I started making my way towards the door. “I’ll see you at nine or ten.”

“See you at nine or ten,” said my boyfriend. “and watch out for ghouls!”

* * *

 

 

The mall was always busiest during the evening, probably for the better. It helped a ghoul blend in with ease, or at the very least fade into the background. It took me a bit of walking to find the guy I was looking for, going through all of the different stores and doing some window shopping while I was at it. I remembered the incredibly detailed description Mary had given me, a dork with a ninja turtles hoodie. I was able to find him in the food court though, sitting by himself in a table with his hood up. He stood out quite a bit with the turtle shell design on the back, and a sort of purple head band around the hood that covered most of his face. I shook my head in disbelief, I had encountered stupid ghouls before but this was just ridiculous. I started making my way towards him, making sure to attract as little attention as possible. As I approached, the guy shot a glare at me, apparently no one told him how I would look. It took him a while to realize that I was the person he was waiting for.

“Stand out more why don’t you?” I said as I kicked a chair away from the table and took a seat. I could practically feel his uneasiness. “Relax, Mary sent me.” I could see the ghoul’s eyes widen from under the hood.

“So you’re Chess?” He said with his mousy voice. I didn't like him already. Too jumpy.

“One and only,” I said. “What about you?” The guy shifted in his seat uncomfortably as I waited for his response. To my surprise he removed his hood. I found a lanky boy, probably fifteen from the looks of it. He had a bit of a bratty look about him, self absorbed and annoyed at everything. The several piercings on his lips and ears weren't helping too much either.

“You can just call me Gil,” I said indifferently.

“Well, Gil, you should be a lot more careful when meeting someone. You’re attracting way too much attention to yourself,” I said. Gil began to look around the area for people that were occasionally glancing towards our direction. “Don’t look around you’ll catch even more eyes.” The ghoul forced his gaze towards the table and did his best to not make any sudden movements.

“I…” He began. “I thought people went to the food court to hang out.”

“They do,” I said. “But its weird to see someone in a food court that isn't eating. And if that doesn't tip them off then wearing your hood definitely will.” I flicked the ghoul on the forehead and gave him a smile. He looked at me with a curious expression.

“What was that for?” he asked taken aback.

I leaned in and gave him a glare, making sure no one could see my face. “So they think we’re a couple, better than having them think we’re delinquents thanks to your stupid ass.” I leaned back on my chair slapping my smile back on and ruffling Gil’s hair to add to the illusion. I just pictured the boy as a white and much more emo version of Adrian. Granted, Adrian wasn’t a retard.

“Lets go,” I said. “We can talk about the job outside.” With that we both left the food court and began to make our way towards the parking lot. It was a rather open area just outside the mall, from here we could see my school in the distance and a nearby gas station.      

“So what’s the job?” I asked, grabbing the ghoul’s attention.

“We gotta pick up two bags of food and deliver them to a shelter in the fourth district,” said Gil taking out his cell phone. “After that its my shift for a hunt, Mary had mentioned that you haven’t eaten in a while either.”

I nodded. “Where are we picking up the package and how are we getting there?”

“I have a car up ahead.” Gil pointed down the parking lot to signal the general direction his car was located.

“I’ll drive,” I said as I made my way down the parking lot. “Give me the keys.”

“But it’s my car!” protested Gil.

“And you’re what? Fourteen, fifteen?” I asked.

“Sixteen.”

“Old enough for a permit, not a license. I'm surprised cops haven’t stopped you already.” I could tell that he was angry but It didn't matter to me, I was not about to take a risk for this kid. As soon as we reached the end of the lot, Gil pointed at the old and battered Honda Accord. The black paint job looked like it was made by an amateur, I had an idea who. I moved over to the driver’s seat and held out my hand. Reluctantly, the ghoul gave me the keys.

 

After opening the door I placed my backpack on the seat and zipped it open. In there I found my usual “working” jacket. It was a simple, black long coat. The cuffs were a bit fancy and frilly, but that was an addition I added once the GCB started calling me Cheshire. Might as well fit in to the whole wonderland theme after all. I left my mask in my backpack and zipped it shut. After tossing my bag to the back seat of the car I stepped in and fastened my seat belt. Gil followed suit and finally I started the engine.

 

The horse wheeze of the car igniting made me a bit uneasy. I had a job to do however, and I was sure that the car would hold up. So off we went.

 

I had done delivery jobs before, so I knew of the place Gil had told me about. It was a morgue that was near the edge of district one, off the north west end of the valley. These were a few of the areas where we could get some food for what we called “shelters”. They were places where ghouls could get a meal without having to directly kill a person, it wasn't the best food but it was enough to keep you alive. Mostly the services of shelters were reserved for the exceedingly old, very young, or those who were hardcore pacifists. Food was scarce, so those willing and able were left to fend for themselves, though there were exceptions sometimes.

We had arrived at the building around seven thirty. It was a dreary place, colorless and at night it even sent shivers up your spine. The place looked closed since no lights were on. The fact that it closed up early was a signal that a package was ready. I drove the worn down car towards the back of the morgue, there we found an open space that was covered by surrounding buildings. There was a convenient parking space at the back of these stores, luckily they were vacant most of the time. After parking the car, Gil and I reached for our bags and took out our masks. I stared at my own for a bit before donning it. The wicked face of a smiling cat looked back at me. The jagged smile curling all the way up the the sides while his eyes were large and empty. I placed the mask on my face and wrapped the leather fastening on it around my head. Once it was secure, I made my way out of the car.

I gave Gil’s mask a brief glance and cocked an eyebrow at the fish face in front of me, I learned a while back to not question a ghoul’s choice of mask. It was almost as bad as internet usernames. We walked up to one of the back doors of the morgue and I gave two knocks. The door slid open and we were greeted by a man in a lab coat, he gave us a friendly smile. He looked like a med school student, at least at first glance. Young and thin, crooked smile and tired eyes. Though sometimes his oily hair would droop in just the right way so that you couldn't really see much of his face.  

“Evening, Jake,” I said crossing my arms. Like I said, I had done delivery jobs before, so I got to know quite a few people. Jake was one of the workers in here, he normally stayed late so he could give us the packages. He was also a ghoul.

“Nice to see you again Chess,” he said as his eyes turned black, a bright red iris appeared at the center. “Come on in.” The three of us walked in and closed the door behind us. We walked through the hallways of the morgue and strode into an examination room. Two large duffle bags were inside, waiting on an examination table.

“You’re new,” said Jake as he turned to Gil. “First day picking up food?”

“Y-Yes,” stammered Gil. Jake didn’t think so much about Gil’s answer, instead he walked over to the duffle bags and tossed them towards us. I caught the one that was tossed at me while Gil was caught off guard somewhat. I hoped that this flesh wasn’t from someone that was too old. Then again, younger people were a bit rare. There was a certain convenience about morgues, however you couldn’t really choose your food like hunting. Anyone that was either alone with no one to either identify or claim the body (most of the time hobos) was a decent candidate. Those scheduled for cremation were valid too, it was not like the next of kin would be able to tell what kind of ashes they were actually given.

“Thanks Jake,” I said as I motioned Gil to follow. “See you next time.”

“Any time, Chess. Tell Mary I said hi.”

Back on the road we drove out to district 4. One of the more tame areas while at the same time the community was rather friendly. Hunting here was scarce, but it did happen on occasion. It was also wasn’t too far away from Adrian’s as well, it neighbored his district in fact. I suppose living right on the border wasn’t too bad, for a human that is. More doves patrolled the very edge of the districts here, so I didn’t have to worry so much about Adrian running into a ghoul while he was out. It did make me extremely nervous when visiting him however. I’ve never faced a dove before, but I’ve heard the stories.

We stopped next to the local cafe by the street corner. It was a popular spot, not only was it a well known shelter, but the coffee was pretty great. Like the morgue, we parked by the back. Already one of the owner of the cafe was waiting for us. I decided to leave my mask behind for this one, since I knew the ghoul standing by the back door. He was a rather large and portly man, Italian too.

Both Gil and I got out of the car and took the duffle bags with us.

“Haha, Percy!” said the large italian man as he greeted me with open arms. Once he was close enough he gave me a powerful hug that would break the back of a normal human. “Been so long! I thought you forgot about me.”

“Great to see you too, Lorenzo.” I said as I was released. “I’ve been a bit busy. Probably seen me on the news?”

“That I did,” nodded Lorenzo. “Congratulations on the code name by the way. Around the house my wife and kids are calling you ‘il gatto’. You’re like a movie star right now.”   

I gave out a hearty laugh. “Let’s hope I last longer than most.” I received a pat on the back from Lorenzo’s massive hand. “So where do you want these?” I asked holding up the duffle bag.

“Hand them to me, I’ll take care of it.” He said as he took the packages from Gil and me. Then Lorenzo reached into his pocket and handed us two envelopes. After confirming the payment, I stored the money in my jacket. “Oh yeah, Percy. Could I talk to you for a bit in private?”

I gave a nod to Gil before joining the portly Italian inside the back rooms of the cafe. Lorenzo took me to the kitchen.

“What’s this about?” I asked releasing a chortle. It wasn’t every day that I was taken into the kitchen, Lorenzo had made it clear on several occasion that this was his turf.  

“Now Percy, you know you are like mio figlio.” I smiled at Lorenzo, hearing him include me to his family always did bring my spirits up. “And since you've been busy I thought you might want something good. Also because I know you have good taste.” I saw him take out a mass wrapped in butcher paper from one of the cupboards. I looked at it with curiosity and gave a tentative sniff.

“What…” I asked as my mouth started watering. “what is that?”

Lorenzo drew closer to me as if about to reveal a grand secret. “Ever had vegan before.” I bit my knuckle in anticipation, I could feel myself nearly giving in to hunger. I began to look around the room, as if there were a slight chance of someone else discovering the prize before me. “I want you to have it.”     

I nearly gasped. “Me? but, I can’t accept this!” It took what little willpower I had to not tear up the paper then and there and devour the delectable flesh. Lorenzo took out a knife and fork and placed them next to the meat.

“Please, Percy. I still owe you after you saved my wife.” He pushed the slab of flesh closer to me and began to make his way to the door. “Go ahead and eat up, I’ll clean up once you’re gone.” I was still staring at the meat in disbelief.

“Thank you, Lorenzo.” I said before ripping the paper apart to reveal the meat. By the time Lorenzo was gone I had already begun my feast, forcing myself to use the knife and fork so I would not stain my jacket. I had heard rumors how how differently meat of this kind tasted. Stories of how delicious it was, and holy shit were they all spot on. The rest of my meal went by rather quickly, it was not enough to keep me satisfied for the month, but I would be good for a while. As I left the cafe I felt as if I had committed a terribly satisfying sin. I would go as far as to say that it was probably as good as what I would imagine Adrian would taste like. Not that it was something that I thought about too much.

I met back up with Gil who I found repeatedly tapping his foot against the floor. He seemed even more jittery than when we met. It took me a moment to realize what was wrong with him.

“Everything alright there Gil?” I asked as I approached. The ghoul shot his gaze towards me, I could already see his eyes darkening.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He said. “We should probably get to hunting soon though.” I could already see his eyes going ‘full ghoul’ from underneath his creepy fish mask. I walked over to the car and took out my mask. After placing it back on I returned to him.

“So where are we scheduled to hunt?” I asked.

“District six,” he said. “Near the highway.”

“Six?” I said skeptically. I knew very well that six wasn’t frequently hunted on, not by anyone that followed the schedules anyway. Either we got the luck of the draw or Gil was lying. My money was on the latter, more importantly, why did he want to hunt specifically in district six? I wanted to know why, so I didn’t press for more information. “Alright, wanna go on foot from here?” Gil gave me a ravenous stare, I realized how hungry he actually was.

Fortunately the sixth district wasn’t far off, it was only a few minutes of running through the darker areas of the city. A few buildings were a bit taller in this area so it was actually feasible to hunt out here. Feasible, but not recommended. After a bit more running, Gil suddenly began to scale an apartment building fire escape, bounding up the edge of the railings and reaching the roof in just a few leaps. I followed him up the building, but stopped myself. A thought crept into my head as I realized how close I was to Adrian’s. I took out my cell phone.

“Hello?” I sighed in relief as soon as I heard Adrian’s voice through the speaker.

“Hey sexy,” I said to him, trying to mask my concern.   

“Hey yourself,” said Adrian. “How’s the job going? And why do you sound so weird, are you next to a fan or something?” I realized that I was still wearing my mask, I moved it away from my face to sound normal.

“Yeah, sorry,” I said. “The job’s going swell. I’ll tell you about it when I get back. Anyway, I just wanted to check up on you.”

“Scared the ghouls will get me?” Asked Adrian jokingly. “It’s district six Percy, safest place in the valley. Besides a ghoul would have to be out of their mind to attack me here.”

“W-Where are you?” I asked.

“I’m taking Bowser out for a walk,” my heart sank. “You know how my dad feels about pee stains in the apartment.”

“Where are you,” I repeated a bit more seriously.

“By the highway,” Adrian must have heard the alarm in my voice because he sounded concerned as well. “There are a bunch of cars driving by so it’s not like I’m alone.”

“Adrian,” I said. “Please listen to me, head back home as fast as you can.”

“What’s going on?”

“Just please go back home,” I said a little faster. “And call me once you’re inside okay?”

“...Okay.”

“See you in a bit,” I said. “Love you.” I hanged up and began to make my way up the rooftop as fast as I could. Luckily, Gil had yet to make a move. He just stayed by the edge of the roof, peering over to the streets. I approached carefully, right now he looked unpredictable.

“Found someone you liked?” I asked sitting down next to him. I could hear his breathing getting heavy. “No offense man, but you sound really hungry.”

“I’m waiting for someone,” he said ravenously. I glanced down at the streets, fortunately Adrian wasn’t in sight. I began to notice less and less cars, it was becoming more deserted by the minute. Surrounding buildings were turning off their lights. Shops were closing and people were heading to the comfort of their homes. Pretty soon all that was left was the eerie darkness, that and the few street lights that made the shadows seem even more unwelcoming. I glanced towards the highway that wasn’t too far off, even though there were still plenty of cars zooming by, they would still be oblivious to everything that could happen in this street.

“Sounds like you have a specific meal in mind,” I said.

“Yeah,” replied Gil with excitement. “I caught his scent while walking through the second district.” That’s where my school is. “I followed him to here, I think he lives somewhere nearby. Ever since I got the first whiff I couldn’t stop thinking about him, he looks so delicious, nothing else seemed worth it. Been starving myself for weeks now, just to make it that much more satisfying.”

_He couldn’t possibly mean…_ suddenly I caught a familiar scent.

“There he is!”

_No._ I felt my heart become frozen solid as I saw Adrian and Bowser round the corner. I shot my glance towards Gil, who remained stationary. Everything was fine for now, so long as Gil wasn’t a diamonds suit, it’s what we called a ghoul with wings, he couldn’t reach adrian before I had a chance to react. But then I saw two large masses, like the fins of a fish, leap out of his shoulder blades.

_Fuck!_

I saw the wings arch up, small thorns creeping out of the flesh. I didn’t have time to think, I just found myself leaping in front of Gil and shouting towards Adrian.

“LOOK OUT!” I screamed  as loudly as I could. Suddenly I felt all the thorns Gil had prepared enter my back, hundreds of small knives the size of switchblades stabbed into my skin. The pain was incredible, but I couldn’t let it stop me. Gil was preparing another attack, and if I failed now Adrian would be dead.

I twisted my body in mid air, feeling the pressure build up by my tailbone, I felt my tail erupt from my body. The long purple blade leaped out and twisted towards Gil. It hardened and became rigid as I swiped it through the air, the sword-like limb connecting with the ghoul’s face and making a clean cut. The painted tip traveled through his eyes, a small chunk of the bridge of his nose was lopped off as well. I could see a large gush of blood spray at me as soon as my attack landed. Gil began to thrash around in pain as he was robbed from his sight, albeit for a brief moment.

He was not about to give up now, however. As I was falling off the rooftop I could see him flail his wings around the air, shooting thorns in all directions to try and hit me. Twisting my body once again, this time with the aid of my tail, I was able to land on my feet. The ground below me collapsed slightly as my mass struck the concrete, I could feel the impact damage my legs. Something was fractured, or broken, I couldn’t tell. I had managed to get closer to Adrian though, that was a relief.

Adrian stood there along with Bowser, both shock and fear running through his face. He seemed too mortified to even move, I couldn’t blame him. There was a ghoul with a large, purple, blood soaked tail in front of him, meanwhile another was shooting spikes out of his back. I could see Bowser recognize who I was, though, he gave a happy bark, and for a second I worried that he would blow my cover. Suddenly I heard rage-filled cry coming from above.

“He’s mine!” Gil descended from the rooftop with incredible speed, coming at me with his wings ready to cut me up again. I reacted and raised my tail in front of me to defend. The wings collided with my tail, catching Gil just in time to deliver a second blow. Batting him away while in mid air my tail drew back, striking once, twice, three times like how the tail of a scorpion would descend on its target. The bladed end stabbing through the enemy ghoul’s stomach and ripping his insides to shreds. It would take a lot more than that to kill him though, I knew that much.

I rounded to Adrian, who was still petrified from the scene before him.

“Don’t just stand there!” I yelled making sure my voice would come out rough and indistinguishable from how I normally spoke. “Run, get out of here!” Adrian snapped back to reality and gave me a shocked glance. Without any more words he picked up Bowser and and began to run past us, towards his home. I gave out a sigh of relief, but then I returned to the fight at hand. I readied my tail for another attack. This time the long purple tendril stretched out longer as several spines began to pop out of it, the tail separating into segments, each one like a serrated blade.

Gil remained on the floor as blood began to pour out of him, suddenly he got back up and pounced. My tail dived in but he was able to dodge it in the last second, he closed in, wings spreading out and delivering more thorns towards me. Several entered my legs, others my shoulders. It was distraction enough for Gil to close in, swiftly he launched his fist towards my face. He was too fast, I couldn’t move out of the way fast enough. I was forced to the floor by the sheer force of his punch, a large part of my mask breaking off in the process.

This was expected, diamonds beat spades is what we would say, wings over tails. I was at a disadvantage from the start. I rushed into the battle without thinking, no strategy, no plan. I was just thinking about Adrian, I risked my life for him without so much as a second thought. I never thought I would be capable of such a thing, I wasn’t even supposed to care about him to begin with. I needed someone to distract me, to help me get my rocks off maybe, and he was there. And now I’m doing the most stupid thing a ghoul could possible do with a human, truly falling for him.

What will happen now? I wondered. Will Gil try to track down Adrian after this? Would he try to eat him? I didn’t want to let that happen, I couldn’t let that happen. I wasn’t about to let this stupid punk take what was mine, even if it did mean killing him. That’s what I thought as Gil drew closer, thankfully he was still as stupid as ever. He didn’t see my tail creep past him, pierce his gut, and retract while dragging everything out along with it. A mess of blood and innards spilled onto the floor as Gil slowly realized what was happening.

I got back up as he collapsed, he was trying to pick his guts out of the floor but to no avail. He lost consciousness in seconds, and in minutes he would be dead.

“You shouldn’t have starved yourself, Gil,” I said as I shook my tail a few times to get the chunks of gore off of it. “Maybe then you could have put up a fight.” The spines were sinking back into my tail, turning back into a the smooth leaf-like blade as before.I picked up the part of my mask that was broken off and stored it in my pocket. With that I took back into the shadows, making my way to Lorenzo’s cafe.

It took much longer than expected to get back to the car, the entire way I had to avoid the streets and remove all the damn spikes lodged into my body.It was increddibly difficult to move after that. I had eaten a bit to keep moving, but not enough to regenerate all my wounds. Once I reached the car I took out my phone and began to call Lorenzo.

“Percy! What are you doing calling this late boy?!” he called out into his phone.

“Lorenzo,” I wheezed. “Open up, I’m right outside. Besides its only nine.” I faced the car and drove my fist into the glass. Once it shattered I pulled out my backpack and began to drag it across the floor.

“What happened?” asked Lorenzo, I could hear him rush through the cafe as I drew closer to the back door.

“I’ll tell you once I’m inside,” I said as I leaned by the door frame. Seconds later the door swung open. I looked into Lorenzo’s eyes as I took out another set of spikes from my back. “Any chance you can hook me up with some food?”

I was brought into the kitchen for the second time that day. My coat was removed and my blood caked shirt was peeled off. As Lorenzo searched the freezer for some food to warm up, I began to recount the fight. Thankfully I was healthy enough for my healing to have stopped the bleeding, I was already getting dizzy.

“Turns out he just wanted to be there to eat Adrian,” I said as I shoved chunks of flesh into my mouth, my hunger alone made the meal seem delicious and satisfying. I could feel my body recovering instantly, already I could feel a wave of relief wash over me as I shoveled in another bite.

“How is Adrian?” asked Lorenzo with his Italian accent changing how I would normally say my boyfriend’s name. Just then I felt my phone vibrate, I took it out of my pocket and saw that I had received a text from Adrian. I felt my body relax as soon as I saw the text say, “made it back home safely :) see? no ghoul attacks.” I wasn’t sure why he was lying to me, maybe to make me feel better by making light of it. Maybe he wanted to forget it all, pretend it didn’t happen. I couldn’t really blame him though, I wanted to forget it too. I sent a quick message.

okay, I’ll be there soon :D

“He’s fine,” I said. “Physically anyway. Not sure how the whole attack affected him though.”

“Poverino,” said Lorenzo solemnly. “Well at least he has got you to look after him.”

“Yeah,” I sighed as I moved my shoulders around, the pain subsiding finally. “He has me.” I glanced down at the wounds on my thighs, they were sore but otherwise alright. There were welts on my arms and back, but it was better than having a bunch of holes all over me. My jacket was destroyed though, and so was my mask. I threw them into my backpack and Lorenzo allowed me to borrow one of his shirts, after I had taken a shower to wash off the blood of course. The shirt was a bit large but it was better than nothing. Once I was ready to leave, Lorenzo handed me one more pack of flesh wrapped in butcher paper. I was not about to reject food after a failed hunt.

“So what are you going to do now?” asked the Italian.

“Well I need to get rid of Gil’s car now that he’s dead,” I said. “I’ll probably leave it by a parking space or something, a tow truck will do the rest. After that I need to meet up with Adrian, I need to make sure he’s alright.”

“Make sure you hide your food well enough for him not to find it,” warned Lorenzo.

“Of course I know that,” I said. “I’ll probably eat it while I’m getting rid of the car anyway.” After receiving a pat on the back I took my stuff and made my way to Gil’s car. After ripping apart certain areas of the car I was able to hot wire it and start it up, good thing these older models were easier to steal. I drove on until I was out of the district, moving over to nine which was south of six. I had completely forgotten to eat the food in my backpack, there were too many things in my mind. I needed a new coat, same goes for the mask. In the end I just left the car on a red line, the ones that fire trucks used. After that I just walked away, making sure that no one saw me leaving the area. The car wasn’t too far from district six, but so long as it wasn’t near Lorenzo’s cafe then it should be good.

It was a long night, I was sore, tired, and I just wanted to see Adrian and my dog. It was quite a walk back to district six too, but I was able to make it in time. My mood began to lighten up as I saw the familiar apartment building. As I was making my way up I took out my cell phone once again and began to dial my boyfriend.

“Hey,” I said once he picked up. “Guess who’s back from a long night out!”       


	3. Adrian, Rivers In Egypt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We take a turn through Adrian's eyes, and he finds something unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Chase here. I know the last installment was quite a while ago but rest assured that I plan on continuing this series. Once again, I hope you all enjoy and feel more than welcome to leave a comment.

I shouldn't be alive. I should be dead, my body ripped to shreds and a ghoul feasting on my ribs like my dad at a barbecue. I should be like those people in the news, a simple name added to a long list of ghoul victims. Maybe the news would have made a report of me. Young Mexican boy found dead with his face eaten off. It took Bowser’s fidgeting and squirming his way out of my arms to snap me back to reality.

I found myself inside the apartment, leaning on the front door. I remembered what happened after I saw those ghouls. I grabbed Percy’s corgi and ran as fast as I could. I kept running even though my throat was dry and my lungs burned for air. Finally I made it back, and after locking the door behind me I broke down as I held on to Bowser tightly. I would have died, had it not been for that other ghoul. I remember seeing his mask too, the cat face with a wide jagged smile. He was on the news not too long ago, Cheshire, the GCB called him.

Cheshire didn't want to kill me though. As soon as I saw his red eyes I thought it was the end, but instead he started fighting the other fish-faced ghoul and told me to run. I was saved by a ghoul...why?

“I should be dead…” I said to myself. Percy was right, I was careless. Then I remembered that I was supposed to call him. I wiped the tears off my face and took out my phone, and stared at the screen. My finger was hovering over the green “call” button.

 _Do I tell him?_ I wondered. He would get worried no doubt, probably storm here in a fit of anger. Maybe by the time he got here he would hold me tighter than he’s ever done before, which was something I needed. Do I want him to leave his work though? Or worse yet, having him worry about me the entire trip here? I was still trying to deal with my own emotions, let alone dump a bunch more on Percy. Would that be selfish?

I decided to play it cool for now, maybe tell him later and have him explode about it. I decided not to call him though, I couldn't stop myself from sobbing. Instead I sent a text.

**Made it back home safely :) see? no ghoul attacks.**

Lying to him didn't feel good, but in all honesty I found it better than telling him about the ghouls. I needed to put it behind me now, as best as I could. I waited for a reply,  a few seconds later I saw Percy text back.

**okay, I’ll be there soon :D**

I gave out a heavy sigh as I tossed my phone aside. Percy was coming and I needed to pull myself together.   
“I need a shower,” I said to no one in particular. I stumbled to my feet and started making my way to the shower.

My head began to spin with a swarm of thoughts as the cascade of hot water washed down my body. I began to wonder how everything would have changed had I not been rescued, had I been eaten up instead. What would my dad do? What would Percy have done? Would anyone besides them have noticed? probably. I wasn't too well known in school but everyone at least knew of me since I was an item with one of the more menacing guys in the campus. I remembered that people avoided me for a while after it became common knowledge that Percy and I were going out.   

I stood under the water for another thirty minutes, thinking about the incident. Once I stepped out and dried off I caught my reflection on the slightly fogged window, I moved over and swept my hand across the surface. Two large brown eyes stared back at me, their redness wasn't so noticeable now. I took a few deep breaths before leaving the bathroom and getting dressed.

I sat down in the living room and decided to play some games while I waited for Percy to return. My fingers began to quickly tap into the controller in my hands as if it were instinct, my focus could drift to the cell phone by my side or the dog on my lap and I would still be able to land a head shot with the sniper my character was holding. Playing a mindless game was what I needed right now, it was a good enough distraction. Despite my efforts however I would find myself sighing every now and then, or staring a little too attentively at my phone. Once I had entered my zone and completely allowed most of my mind to focus on the game my phone rang. I jumped, it wasn't a usual response from me, given the  circumstances I suppose it was a natural reaction though.

I took the phone and propped it open as I held it to my ear.

“Hey,” It was Percy’s voice, I could feel my body relax knowing that he was most likely near by. “Guess who’s back from a long night out!”

“Long night huh?” I asked forcing out a cocky tone. “Don’t tell me you’re exhausted already. The night is still young, young enough for me to take that title of ‘Kart Master’ from you.”  

“Tell you what,” said Percy. “We both call it an early night and you can keep dreaming.”

Moments later, Bowser hopped off my lap and rushed over to the door. The small dog’s tail wagged, shaking most of his rear in the process. I joined the corgi and swung the door open, I found my boyfriend raising his hand to knock. A sheepish smile appeared on his pale face as he picked up his dog and patted him on the head. He released the dog and gave me a warm smile, his blue eyes glowing underneath his long unkempt hair. After Bowser scurried back to the couch for some more sleep, Percy strode in and locked the door behind him.

Suddenly I was swept off my feet as Percy began to carry me in his arms, I kept forgetting how strong he actually was.

“Miss me?” asked Percy before planting a kiss on my lips. It was unusual for him to be this forward. At the very least there would normally be coaxing on my part for him to want to kiss me.

“Absolutely bored to tears without you,” I said feigning distress. “I fear to imagine what would have become of me had you been gone a moment longer!” Percy continued to carry me to the bedroom.

“Fret not my prince,” said Percy, taking up the same gallant tone as earlier. “Your knight in shining armor has arrived.”

“Forsooth!” I said as I was placed on my bed. Percy lit the lamp on my night stand as he dropped his backpack onto the floor. I heard a barely audible “shlop!” coming from the bag.  It sounded like a drink of some sort, I hope it didn't spill. My boyfriend then began to move around the apartment, turning off all the lights. Moments later he returned, the light next to me being the only illumination in the overwhelming darkness. I saw Percy’s silhouette appear before me, his lips once again meeting mine as he held me in his arms. Then we were blanketed by the darkness.

I couldn't see anything, but I felt safe with Percy’s arms around me. For some reason the incident seemed so far away now. I sank into my boyfriend’s chest as he joined me on the bed. Then he released me as he began to casually remove his clothes.

“You’re a lot more forward tonight,” I said.

“You have a problem with that?” asked Percy with a chuckle.

“I wasn't complaining,” I said moving to take my own clothes off. “I like this actually. So does this mean you have something planned for tonight?” We were both down to our underwear, to be honest I wasn't really in the mood. He reached out, hugged me, and we both laid down on the bed, it didn't look like he was in the mood either. It was fine with me, I was more than happy to feel his warmth next to mine.

“No plans tonight,” said Percy. “Maybe in the morning, but right now I just wanna hold you.” I allowed myself to sink into him, to let the exhaustion of the day overtake me. The last thing I heard before drifting off was the sound of Percy’s heartbeat, the gentle drumming helping me relax.

That night I did not dream, it was probably for the best. I did wake up a bit groggy though, as soon as I glanced at the alarm clock I could see why. I had slept past noon, I pulled the blanket off of me from the unwelcoming heat of the approaching summer. I couldn't go back to sleep with my body being all sweaty so I sat up and moved my legs off the bed. It was then when I realized that Percy wasn't around, not in the room at least. I could hear the shower running, it seemed that he had just woken up as well.

“Is that you, Percy?!” I called out, knowing very well that I could be heard from the bathroom. “Or should I call the cops?”  

“Don’t worry,” replied my boyfriend from the bathroom. “I’m just a random hobo that’s taking advantage of your Head and Shoulders!” I released a faint chuckle as I ran my hand through my hair. After releasing a yawn I looked around my room, my clothes and Percy’s were scattered about, I spotted that shirt that was too large for him and his backpack. It was a wonder how he was able to carry such a large thing, I remember trying to pick it up on one occasion. I could barely hold it up. I figured that I should at least move it to the corner so no one would trip on it.

I took a hold of one of the black straps and tugging slightly at the bag. I felt something wet. God dammit, I thought. It must have been that drink that spilled last night. I drew my hand away and jumped. My fingers came back red, the thick liquid dripping to the carpet. I moved away the bag and found that a little blood had been pooling under the carpet all night. There was a large stain on the pack itself.

I could feel my heart pounding as my hand traveled to the zipper of the backpack. I was compelled to see what was inside, every bone in my body was shooting warning signals, but I suppose I wasn't thinking all that straight. The fact that these were Percy’s things had something to do with it as well, up until then I had never dared to invade his privacy. The black creature crept open, like a gaping maw dripping even more. The thick smell of iron reached out to me. I could see something inside, something yellow. My shaky hand reached out to it, not knowing what to expect. I was scared. Why was there blood dripping from Percy’s bag? It didn't make sense.

My hand closed down on the item, it felt like paper, and I drew it out. Butcher paper? I realized. It was a mass of something wrapped around in this thick paper, the corner seemed to be dripping with blood and proceeded to stain the layers over time. I began to unwrap it, but all I found was a slab of meat. It looked like some sort of steak, but why Percy would be walking around with steak in his bag was beyond me. Then I spotted something else from the corner of my eye.

It was something inside the bag, something white. I reached in and drew it out, my head relaxing by now. It wasn't too alarming for Percy to have uncooked meat with him, but it was weird why he didn't ask to put it in the fridge or something. My insides turned to ice once I drew out the object. It was a broken mask. A thick plastic mask with the visage of a smiling cat on it. A twisted grin that spread from ear to ear. It was the same one I saw yesterday. It was the face of the ghoul that saved me. My head began to spin, thoughts bombarded me as a realization began to dawn on me. I didn't even pay attention to the shower stopping or the bathroom door opening.

“So I was wondering,” Percy said coming into the room. “Maybe we should go...” He trailed off as he saw me with the meat and the mask in my hands. I looked up at him, he was wearing nothing but a towel and a stoic expression on his face.

“You,” I said. “You’re Cheshire.”      

We both stood there, staring at each other. I could see his face shifting however, I began to back into my bed, dropping the mask and flesh. His expression became a combination of frustration and anger. He looked away and closed his eyes.

“You had to go through my things.” He said, he opened his eyes again and looked into mine. The whites were pitch black now, his irises small red dots that almost glowed in the dimly lit room. I continued retreating until I hit the wall my bed was resting next to. I couldn't stop shivering, I could barely move, it was like the attack all over again. Tears began to stream down my face, I was breathing rapidly, knowing that there was no escape from this.

I began to hear a series of visceral and grinding noises, Percy’s towel fell off as something appeared from behind him. It was the long purple tail that Cheshire had yesterday. It was a long and twisted thing, like a thin sword that had been warped into a tail. Percy began to approach, and I felt my insides turn into ice.

Percy was a ghoul, I realized, he was a ghoul from the very start. This entire time I had been dating one of them. For almost three years I had been kissing him, sleeping with him, loving him. Now he was right in front of me, holding me against the bed, raising his tail towards me. He was about to kill me.   

“Percy…” I sobbed.

“Shut up!” He said shaking me slightly. His irises becoming even smaller, as if locking on to his target.

“Please,” I said. “Percy I’m scared.” His face grew even angrier, he squeezed my shoulders to the point where it began to hurt. His tail hovered over to my forehead, it cocked backwards.

_Please don’t._

I looked away and closed my eyes. “PLEASE DON’T KILL ME!” I suddenly felt something warm drip onto my face. My eyes shot open, realizing that it trickled down my face. In that split moment everything changed. I wasn't crying anymore, something inside me changed as I made a realization. I glanced up at Percy, and saw that he was the one crying.

“I can’t do it,” He said as his black eyes were watering. His tail went limp, falling off the bed and landing on the carpet. Then something even more unexpected happened. He buried his head into my chest and began to sob. Why did I see this as unexpected though? Was Percy really different? Did being a ghoul change that much? Well of course it changed everything… but did it change him?

Finally he released my arms, and I found myself embracing him, trying to comfort him.

“Please don’t hate me,” he sobbed. I didn't know what to say, wasn't sure about anything anymore. I simply held him tighter, I couldn't bring myself to say anything. We simply laid there on the bed, not saying a word. I don’t know for how long we were there, I lost track of time. It was probably an hour later where Percy pushed himself off me, wiping away all the dry tears from his face. I wasn't afraid anymore, I knew now that this was the person I had known for years now. I had no reason to be scared.

“You should take a shower,” said Percy softly. He reached over to the pack of meat on the floor as well as taking his clothes. “I’ll go get rid of this.” He said motioning at the flesh. He placed it aside and began to cover his naked body. I nodded and made my way out of the bed. I gave him one last look before leaving my room.

I took a long shower, taking note that the front door was opened and closed. It must have been Percy heading out to who knows where to dispose of that pack. It was then when I figured that it was most likely human flesh. I found that fact disturbing, disgusting even. It drove me to clean myself even more. scrubbing soap to every inch of my body. Why was the flesh cut up like a steak you would get from a butcher? why did Percy have it with him to begin with? I wondered where he got it from, and how fresh it was from the source.   

After the shower I got dressed and waited for Percy on the living room. From the couch I could see my room, the blood stain on the carpet was still clearly visible. I would have to clean that before dad got home, then I realized that I didn't know how to clean blood off a carpet.  Percy could probably help with that.

It was strange waiting for him. I now knew something about him that was dangerous. He was a ghoul, that meant that he ate people. He probably killed them too. I was still mulling about how I was supposed to feel about all of this. I was probably under reacting to all of it, I just learned that my boyfriend was a ghoul of all things. But why wasn't I running from him?

I should be calling the GCB, telling them what Percy was. They would kill him though, and despite what I should be feeling, I still loved him. That’s when a realization dawned on me. He may still be the same person, I may still be the same person, but everything else was different now.No matter how you saw it, or how it could be seen. life was about to become much more complicated. Suddenly I heard the jingle of keys along with several clacking noises coming from the door. The unprecedented noise caused me to jump in my seat. Even though I knew who it was, my heart began to race.

I nearly leaped out of my seat when I heard Bowser bark as he leaped off the couch and trot over to the door. I was clutching at my heart as if it was about to leap out of my chest. I looked up at Percy who was locking the door behind him, he could see my current state of distress, I wasn't doing much to hide it.

“Are you okay?” Asked Percy releasing his dog and walking over to me. He Stood a few feet away, looking at the couch as if it was a minefield. I suppose he wanted to comfort me, I scooted over and made room for him, signaling that it was alright for him to sit next to me. He picked up on my nonverbal message and sat down. I hugged my knees as he drew me in.

“I’m just a bit jumpy from this morning,” I said. “And last night...” I could feel Percy stir in his seat. There was no use in hiding it, he knew that I was hiding the ghoul attack and I knew that he was the one that saved me. I leaned into him, and he held me tightly. I wasn't asking for any explanations right now, I just wanted to make it clear that I would at some point. I breathed in and took in Percy’s scent, it was comforting, though there was something different about it. There was a strong scent of alcohol and mint.

“Is that mouthwash I smell?” I asked. Percy seemed reluctant to elaborate but my gaze became insistent.

“Yeah,” he said clearing his throat. “I normally clean my mouth out after I eat.” Just then I remembered the pack of meat. Maybe I shouldn't have asked.

“Oh,” was all I said. It was better than saying nothing. “Lets watch something,” I said taking the the remote and turning on the TV. Instantly I was met with a news reporter, suddenly I saw a picture appear next to her. It was a large blood stain in the middle of the road.

“Reports of possible ghoul activity—” I changed the channel before she had a chance to finish. Even uttering the word made my heart sink. All of a sudden last night seemed more vivid than ever. I settled with switching to a movie channel and watching whatever was on. And so Percy and I sat together and watched a movies, forgetting the outside, staying in blissful ignorance for a while longer.

We spent most of the weekend on the couch, only leaving to sleep or take care of any other needs. Just watching the television, binging on shows we haven’t caught up with or just a stupid romance movie. After a while we started talking again, almost as if there wasn't a shocking revelation that needed to be addressed. Percy even taught me how to get rid of blood on the carpet, it’s amazing what a little bit of cold water can do. The level of denial in the apartment was unbelievable, but I had decided that this weekend would not involve an interrogation. Instead I decided to hold it off for school during lunch, that way I would at least have my class assignments to distract me afterwords.

All that mattered at the moment was my tall emo boyfriend and his stubby little corgi. I would acknowledge how fucked my life was once it was Monday. But right now, everything was perfect.


End file.
